Harper BottorffNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Jedd Beaudoin is an award-winning writer and broadcaster who has been with KMUW since 2007. He is the host and producer of Strange Currency, a two-hour music show, which airs Monday-Saturday from 8 to 10 p.m. He is also the producer of the bi-weekly trends commentary “A Musical Life,” as well as “Musical Space.” He received his MFA in creative writing (fiction) from Wichita State University in 2001 (where he was a Creative Writing Fellow) and holds a B.A. in English (with an emphasis in writing) from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Beaudoin hosts Wichita Sessions on KPTS Channel 8. The show, which features local and regional music acts in performance, is now in its third season. Since 1999 he has worked as a freelance journalist. He served as music critic and editor for two Wichita alternative newspapers, F5 (2003-06) and Wichita City Paper (of which he was also managing editor, 2006-07). He currently contributes music, film, and book reviews to PopMatters.com, where he alsoNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Jedd BeaudoinFri, 09 Dec 2016 04:37:39 +0000Jedd Beaudoinhttp://kmuw.org
Jedd BeaudoinWednesday, December 7 We celebrate the birthday of musician Tom Waits with selections from throughout his career as well covers of some of his best-known songs from Bill Frisell and Petra Haden, John Hammond and others. Thursday, December 8 Blue and Lonesome is the first studio release from the Rolling Stones in over a decade. Comprised of blues covers, the record is being called a return to form by critics and fans alike. We’ll hear selections from this release as well as music from guitarist Harvey Mandel’s latest, Snake Pit . Friday, December 9 Released in 1979, Prince’s sophomore release was a self-titled affair that contained several songs that would form the core of his most beloved recorded output, including “I Wanna Be Your Lover” and “I Feel For You.” We’ll hear selections from that release on this episode of the show as well as music from David Bowie’s Let’s Dance . Saturday, December 10 Listen for selections from The Cure’s Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me as well as brand new musicCelebrating Tom Waits, Prince’s Stranger Moments And Serious Bowie Collaboratorshttp://kmuw.org/post/celebrating-tom-waits-prince-s-stranger-moments-and-serious-bowie-collaborators
76396 as http://kmuw.orgMon, 05 Dec 2016 15:46:48 +0000Celebrating Tom Waits, Prince’s Stranger Moments And Serious Bowie CollaboratorsJedd Beaudoin“Sometimes it’s uncomfortable and weird,” says Gwynneth Haynes, discussing the creation of her new recent album All Are One . The record marks Haynes’ solo debut after a decade of fronting the Portland, Oregon-based Sophe Lux. With that group she issued records such as 2002’s Plastic Apples and 2006’s Waking The Mystics . The music demonstrated Haynes’ uncanny ability to create songs that were both memorable but filled with dramatic tension and unexpected turns. A writer or two may have connected dots between Haynes and Kath Bush or Toyah Willcox, maybe even Bowie and Peter Gabriel. But the songwriting was more imaginative and far-reaching than any comparisons could suggest and Haynes’ sense of humor shone through via “Marie Antoinette Robot 2073 (a Rock Opera)” and “God Doesn’t Take American Express” (from Waking The Mystics ). For All Are One Haynes tapped longtime collaborator Larry Crane (She & Him, Pavement, Cat Power) for the project and was determined to avoid themes ofSophe Lux & The Mystic: It’s Like A Feverhttp://kmuw.org/post/sophe-lux-mystic-it-s-fever
76394 as http://kmuw.orgMon, 05 Dec 2016 14:33:06 +0000This month, the KMUW Movie Club takes a look at films that traverse time and space.KMUW Movie Club: It's About Time!http://kmuw.org/post/kmuw-movie-club-its-about-time-0
76117 as http://kmuw.orgTue, 29 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000KMUW Movie Club: It's About Time!Jedd BeaudoinRiley Day is a Wichita-based composer and bassist who leads the band Daydream. The group’s 2016 release is titled Sit Still. “The early stages of when I was in bands—high school and early college—I would try to communicate something to a band mate and they might be able to do it, they might forget it the next week. I wanted something that was a little more concreted. I realized that the only way to do that, out of necessity, was to learn how to academically approach music. My curiosity was the driving factor behind writing the music and I wanted to be able to effectively communicate that with someone else to where I could have it performed that way 100 percent of the time. A lot of my writing process is finding a germ that I can develop into a sentence or a statement of some sort. Then, within that statement is multiple germs that I can take and expand on throughout the rest of the piece. So, if this sentence has one word in it, I want to explore that word for maybe two-three minutesA Musical Life: Riley Day http://kmuw.org/post/musical-life-riley-day
76075 as http://kmuw.orgFri, 25 Nov 2016 18:23:52 +0000A Musical Life: Riley Day Jedd BeaudoinIf you’ve driven by the Harvester Arts gallery on North Washington lately, you may have noticed something different about the building. There’s a new mural there, painted by North Carolina-based artist James Marshall, who also goes by the name Dalek. Two of the gallery’s founders, Kristin Beal and Kate Van Steenhuyse, say the mural is part of the organization’s larger mission, which is to connect the local visual arts community with artists from other cities.Harvester Arts Changes Perspective, Minds With Residency Programhttp://kmuw.org/post/harvester-arts-changes-perspective-minds-residency-program
75968 as http://kmuw.orgFri, 25 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000Harvester Arts Changes Perspective, Minds With Residency ProgramJedd BeaudoinJames Marshall, also known as Dalek, is a North Carolina-based visual artist who garnered attention with his Space Monkey character, described by the artist as “a strange, vaguely humanoid mouse that [Marshall] would depict in an array of bright colors and twisted circumstances, often wielding a butcher’s cleaver.” He used this character extensively in his work until 2007 when he abandoned Space Monkey and began working as a purely abstract artist. Marshall recently completed a mural that graces the Harvester Arts building in Wichita. The project came about in part via his friendship with Harvester co-founder Kristin Beal. The two met while both enrolled in graduate school at Virginia Commonwealth University. She contacted Marshall in 2015 and wondered if he’d be willing to add his work to the Harvester building. Marshall began plotting the project from a distance, through photographs. “The main thing was to see what the space looked like,” he says. “I was able to give her feedback Dalek Speaks: James Marshall Discusses The Power Of Public Arthttp://kmuw.org/post/dalek-speaks-james-marshall-discusses-power-public-art
75974 as http://kmuw.orgFri, 25 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000Dalek Speaks: James Marshall Discusses The Power Of Public ArtJedd BeaudoinMonday, November 28 The musical Lazarus was one several projects David Bowie oversaw in the last year of this life. A new cast recording from the stage production has just been released and, in addition to renditions of classic Bowie material such as “The Man Who Sold the World” and “Changes,” there are three new studio recordings, tracked during sessions for what became Bowie’s final album, Blackstar . We’ll hear selections from Lazarus on this episode of the show as well as music from Pink Martini. Tuesday, November 29 Musician Frank Zappa’s archives are filled with numerous live recordings, a few of which have been unearthed for the releases Chicago ‘78 and Little Dots we’ll hear selections from both those recordings on this episode of the show plus music from Swedish band Goat. Wednesday, November 30 In 1973 Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders played a number of shows together in the San Francisco Bay Area. A handful of those dates are included in a new vinyl boxed set titled KeystoneBowie Takes The Stage, Others Take A Bowhttp://kmuw.org/post/bowie-takes-stage-others-take-bow
75946 as http://kmuw.orgWed, 23 Nov 2016 16:04:10 +0000Bowie Takes The Stage, Others Take A BowJedd BeaudoinSpeak with Lewis Black for a few seconds and you realize that the comedian has some things on his mind: namely, the 2016 presidential election, something he says has generated its fair share of humor. But, he adds, it’s not necessarily something that has him laughing. “It’s funny-on-the-surface funny,” he says. “As a comic, I look at it and I laugh. As a person, it’s utterly reprehensible. You’ve got a two-party system. I’ve never been thrilled with either the Democrats or the Republicans, no matter what people think, and the fact of the matter is, this is it. Enough’s enough. "You can tell me that you’ve elected an outsider and that there’s an insider or whatever. You can talk about it all you want. This is beyond belief. You’ve basically reached a point where people aren’t voting for people. Most people are going to be voting against someone. It’s not the way it’s supposed to work. Why did I take civics? Do they even teach it anymore?” Black says that despite living in theLewis Black Talks Politics, Anger And His Post-Comedy Lifehttp://kmuw.org/post/lewis-black-talks-politics-anger-and-his-post-comedy-life
75731 as http://kmuw.orgFri, 18 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000Lewis Black Talks Politics, Anger And His Post-Comedy LifeJedd BeaudoinForeigner is currently on a run of shows that will offer fans the chance to hear songs such as “I Want To Know What Love Is” in an acoustic setting. Multi-instrumentalist Thom Gimbel, who joined the band in the 1990s, says that Foreigner is his true musical home. Gimbel graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston in the 1980s and soon found himself playing with acclaimed songwriter Jon Butcher. “He was already a national act even though he was based in New England,” Gimbel says. The two met when Gimbel’s band shared a bill with the Jon Butcher Axis. Butcher liked what he heard and invited Gimbel to jam with the group. “I got to work with him, and then we went on to record three albums on Capitol [Records],” Gimbel recalls. “We toured around the States. It was a great time for me. I was learning how to ride the tour bus and learning how to play the big venues. We were on tour with INXS, I think. It was a tremendous learning experience.” When his time with Jon Butcher came to anForeigner’s Thom Gimbel Talks Long Road To Right Dimension http://kmuw.org/post/foreigner-s-thom-gimbel-talks-long-road-right-dimension
75679 as http://kmuw.orgThu, 17 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000Foreigner’s Thom Gimbel Talks Long Road To Right Dimension Jedd BeaudoinWhen people talk about the band Chicago, it’s impossible not to mention the group’s horn section. When the band came onto the music scene in the late 1960s, its sound set it apart from the psychedelic and folk music of the time. Chicago Transit Authority, as it was first known, took elements of classical, jazz and R&B music and emerged with a sound that is distinctly its own.Chicago: The Joy Of Music Remainshttp://kmuw.org/post/chicago-joy-music-remains
75634 as http://kmuw.orgWed, 16 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +0000Chicago: The Joy Of Music RemainsJedd BeaudoinMonday, November 21 Swedish band Goat performs in masks and remains wrapped in deep mystery. The group is back with a double LP that draws attentions to its world and heavy rock interests. It’s the band’s idea of an unplugged album but it’s anything but what you’d expect. We’ll hear from Goat’s Requiem on this episode as well as music from Brownout Presents Brown Sabbath, the Latin-infused Black Sabbath tribute project. Tuesday, November 22 Best known for his work with Chicago’s The Island of Misfit Toys, Anthony Sanders recently released the album I Will Be The One Who Goes under the name Anthony Jay Sanders. We’ll hear selections from that recording as well as music from Anna Tivel’s Heroes Waking Up release. Wednesday, November 23 Listen for selections from Ruminations , the latest by Conor Oberst as well as selections from the original cast recording of David Bowie’s musical Lazarus . Thursday, November 24 It’s our annual Thanksgiving special with selections from Mike Keneally, TheHeroes, Ruminations And A Heavy Requiem http://kmuw.org/post/heroes-ruminations-and-heavy-requiem
75596 as http://kmuw.orgTue, 15 Nov 2016 16:20:27 +0000Heroes, Ruminations And A Heavy Requiem Jedd BeaudoinDrew Kelly is a Wichita-based singer songwriter who, here, recounts how a major illness transformed his musical experience.A Musical Life: Drew Kellyhttp://kmuw.org/post/musical-life-drew-kelly
75445 as http://kmuw.orgFri, 11 Nov 2016 15:08:36 +0000A Musical Life: Drew KellyJedd BeaudoinThursday, November 10 Stick Men is the musical project featuring Pat Mastelotto and Tony Levin of King Crimson as well as Markus Reuter, who has collaborated with both musicians in The Crimson ProjeKCt. Stick Men’s latest release is titled Prog Noir . We’ll hear selections from that as well as music from Mike Watt’s Ring Spiel ‘95 live album featuring Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters. Friday, November 11 Marc Ford is perhaps best known for his work with the Black Crowes but has performed with a variety of acts including Ben Harper. Ford is back with a new release, The Vulture , credited to Marc Ford and The Neptune Blues Club. We’ll hear selections from that release as well as from the 1996 Black Crowes album Three Snakes and One Charm . Saturday, November 12 Listen for music from the latest recording by Zoos Of Berlin, Instant Evening and selections from Sophe Lux and The Mystic. Monday, November 14 We'll remember Canadian songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen, whoStick Men, Zoos of Berlin And Dynatronhttp://kmuw.org/post/stick-men-zoos-berlin-and-dynatron
75258 as http://kmuw.orgMon, 07 Nov 2016 16:57:41 +0000Stick Men, Zoos of Berlin And DynatronKMUW's Jedd Beaudoin, Fletcher Powell and Hugo Phan discuss their favorite horror movies.KMUW Movie Club: Horror Favoriteshttp://kmuw.org/post/kmuw-movie-club-horror-favorites
74940 as http://kmuw.orgMon, 31 Oct 2016 16:36:03 +0000KMUW Movie Club: Horror FavoritesJedd BeaudoinTuesday, November 1 Listen for selections from the synth-driven project Dynatron’s new release, The Rigel Axiom as well as selections from French synth artist Tommy ‘86’s latest, Transhumanism . Wednesday, November 2 Known for her work with The B-52’s Cindy Wilson has recently released her first-ever solo effort, the EP Sunrise . Informed by her love psychedelic music but with contemporary sensibilities, the release demonstrates Wilson’s power as a vocalist and the diversity of her musical interests. We’ll hear selections from that release as well as music from Wild Planet , the 1980 sophomore release by The B-52’s. Thursday, November 3 American Football has just returned with its first album in 17 years, marking only the second album from the group, which reunited in 2014. We’ll hear selections from that release as well as music from the reissue of Midlake’s 2006 release The Trials of Van Occupanther . Friday, November 4 It’s our New Month, New Music show with selections from ConorStages, Planets And The Return Of American Footballhttp://kmuw.org/post/stages-planets-and-return-american-football
74934 as http://kmuw.orgMon, 31 Oct 2016 15:23:28 +0000Stages, Planets And The Return Of American FootballJedd BeaudoinJosué is a trumpet player and percussionist based in Wichita. He plays with a variety of acts including Carrie Nation and The Speakeasy, Lewelheds, Odisea, and Soul R. System with Rudy Love, Jr. “My oldest brother was a guitar player. He played in band. I had never touched an instrument in my life before. He was playing piano one day and said, ‘Hey! Sing C.’ [Sings.] He goes to the piano and hits the key and [it was the same]. I found out I had perfect pitch when I was seven. When I got to sixth grade I really wanted to play saxophone. I was, like, ‘Oh my god sax is so cool.’ They gave me a bunch of mouthpieces to try. There was a saxophone reed and I tried it. No sound came out. The teacher said, ‘Alright, try this trumpet mouthpiece.’ I didn’t really know that many famous trumpet players yet and then I found out who Louis Armstrong was and Dizzy Gillespie and little by little I started realizing how super cool the trumpet is. When I got to play, especially in the live setting, I tryA Musical Life: Josué Estrada http://kmuw.org/post/musical-life-josu-estrada
74816 as http://kmuw.orgFri, 28 Oct 2016 10:00:00 +0000A Musical Life: Josué Estrada Jedd BeaudoinThe Colorado-based, hip-hop centric band Flobots has completed a new album, No Enemies , that will be released in early 2017. Having spent a lot of time in the studio over the past year, the group decided to end 2016 by taking to the road for the Your Life Matters tour. Founding member Jamie “Johnny 5” Laurie says he hopes the tour will show the band that music remains a uniting factor in the lives of ordinary people. “We’ve been watching the climate out in the world. It just makes you want to talk to real people,” Laurie says. “You know it’s not as polarized and disgusting and bad as it seems when we look on our Facebook page or on the news websites. Every time we perform a show we bring people together that have completely different beliefs, that have completely different life stories. We come together, and we celebrate.” Laurie adds that music has traditionally brought people joy and that a Flobots performance is more than a group running down its most popular songs for an eagerFlobots Prepares For Ultimate Transformation With ‘No Enemies’http://kmuw.org/post/flobots-prepares-ultimate-transformation-no-enemies
74769 as http://kmuw.orgThu, 27 Oct 2016 10:00:00 +0000Flobots Prepares For Ultimate Transformation With ‘No Enemies’Jedd BeaudoinAlien Ocean is the latest release from the Brooklyn-based duo Crushed Out. Guitarist and vocalist Frankie Sunswept and drummer/vocalist Moselle Spiller provide listeners with a series of songs that run from the humorous to the heartfelt. Sunswept says that the pair found inspiration for one tune, “Big Woolly,” in some reading the guitarist did about the possibility of cloning a woolly mammoth. That, and a big guitar riff, were all they needed to get the song going. “That began as a riff that was really fuzzy and sounded almost woolly with the lurching drums,” he recalls, “so I just named that jam, in our computer, ‘Woolly Mammoth.’ The sound of a big, fuzzy guitar sounds like a big creature looking for love. I thought a cloned woolly mammoth would be a cool character to speak from in our weird, modern world where we’re thinking about bringing back extinct animals.” Sunswept says that reading helped him form the lyrics to a number of tracks on the record. “I’d get a topic thatCrushed Out Contemplates Big Issues, Steady Beat With ‘Alien Ocean’http://kmuw.org/post/crushed-out-contemplates-big-issues-steady-beat-alien-ocean
74718 as http://kmuw.orgWed, 26 Oct 2016 10:00:00 +0000Crushed Out Contemplates Big Issues, Steady Beat With ‘Alien Ocean’Jedd BeaudoinAndrew W.K. announced his Power of Partying Tour earlier this year. When the tour ends in late November, the former Michigan resident will have made his way through all 50 states in the union. Known for releasing albums under his own name as well as having produced acts such as Wolf Eyes and Lee “Scratch” Perry, W.K. spoke to KMUW's Jedd Beaudoin from WBEZ in Chicago this summer during a break from recording a new album that is likely to be released next year. Jedd Beaudoin: What inspired you to launch this talking tour? Andrew W.K: First and foremost, in almost a selfish way, I am trying to cheer up myself. I am not an inherently positive person. But perhaps if I do have one skill, it’s that I’m extraordinarily determined to try to become more positive because of my negativity, because of my weakness, because of my shallowness. I’m trying to rigorously engage in activities that are positive. This is also coinciding with a year in which there are a lot of questions about what makesAndrew W.K. Talks Party Party, Optimism And A Very Famous Friend http://kmuw.org/post/andrew-wk-talks-party-party-optimism-and-very-famous-friend
74512 as http://kmuw.orgFri, 21 Oct 2016 10:00:00 +0000Andrew W.K. Talks Party Party, Optimism And A Very Famous Friend Jedd BeaudoinWednesday, October 26 Songbook is a new covers collection from Mia Doi Todd. The collection features songs written by Prince, Joni Mitchell, and Townes Van Zandt among others. We’ll hear selections from that record as well as music from She Haunts My Dreams , the 1999 release from Spain. Thursday, October 27 Cajun musician Courtney Granger has recently issued his first-ever solo album, Beneath Still Waters . Inspired by George Jones, the collection features a variety of classic country songs that speak to the joys of traditional country music. Listen for selections from it as well as from Spain’s 2016 release Carolina . Friday, October 28 Wings is a new compilation featuring the early singles of acclaimed singer-songwriter Tim Buckley. We’ll hear selections from that release as well as from the new reissue of Lee Hazlewood’s Cowboy in Sweden . Saturday, October 29 All Are One is the new release from Sophe Lux & The Mystic, we’ll hear selections from that recording and from DayHaunted Dreams, Swedish Cowboys And A Harrowing Halloween http://kmuw.org/post/haunted-dreams-swedish-cowboys-and-harrowing-halloween
74488 as http://kmuw.orgThu, 20 Oct 2016 16:17:47 +0000Haunted Dreams, Swedish Cowboys And A Harrowing Halloween